Delosperma plant named ‘Jewel of Desert Moon Stone’

ABSTRACT

A new cultivar of  Delosperma  plant, ‘Jewel of Desert Moon Stone’, characterized by its compact and very horizontal plant habit, its relatively small leaves, its very floriferous and long blooming flowering habit, and its flowers that are white in color with yellow anthers.

Botanical classification: Delosperma cooperi.

Variety denomination: ‘Jewel of Desert Moon Stone’.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is co-pending with U.S. Plant Patent Applications filed for plants derived from the same breeding program that are entitled Delosperma Plant Named ‘Jewel of Desert Rosequartz’ (U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No. 13/199,787), Delosperma Plant Named ‘Jewel of Desert Topaz’ (U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No. 13/199,826), Delosperma Plant Named ‘Jewel of Desert Ruby’ (U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No. 13/199,812), Delosperma Plant Named ‘Jewel of Desert Peridot’ (U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No. 13/199,815), and Delosperma Plant Named ‘Jewel of Desert Garnet’ (U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No. 13/199,846).

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Delosperma plant, botanically known as Delosperma cooperi ‘Jewel of Desert Moon Stone’ and will be referred to hereinafter by its cultivar name, ‘Jewel of Desert Moon Stone’. The new cultivar of Delosperma is a herbaceous perennial grown for container and landscape use.

The new cultivar was derived from a controlled breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Ichinimiya-City, Aichi-Pref, Japan. The overall purpose of the breeding program was to develop new cultivars of Delosperma plants with low-growing and well-spreading growth habits combined with long flowering periods and a unique range of flower colors.

‘Jewel of Desert Moon Stone’ was selected in the Inventor's trial garden in November 2006 as a single unique plant from amongst the seedlings derived from self-crossing an unnamed plant from the Inventor's breeding program in May 2005. The Inventor's reference code for the parent plant is “A”.

Asexual propagation of the new cultivar was first accomplished by softwood cuttings in 2009 by the Inventor in Ichinimiya-City, Aichi-Pref, Japan. Propagation by softwood cuttings has shown that the unique features of the new cultivar are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the characteristics of the new cultivar. These attributes in combination distinguish ‘Jewel of Desert Moon Stone’ as a unique cultivar of Delosperma.

-   -   1. ‘Jewel of Desert Moon Stone’ exhibits a compact and very         horizontal plant habit.     -   2. ‘Jewel of Desert Moon Stone’ exhibits relatively small         leaves.     -   3. ‘Jewel of Desert Moon Stone’ exhibits a very floriferous and         long blooming flowering habit.     -   4. ‘Jewel of Desert Moon Stone’ exhibits flowers that are white         in color with yellow anthers.

The parent plant of ‘Jewel of Desert Moon Stone’, Ref. code “A”, differs from ‘Jewel of Desert Moon Stone’ in having a more upright (less horizontal) plant habit, in blooming for a shorter time period, and in having flowers that are light yellow in color with white centers. ‘Jewel of Desert Moon Stone’ can be most closely compared to the cultivar ‘Reiko’ (not patented), which is similar to ‘Jewel of Desert Moon Stone’ in having a horizontal plant habit. ‘Reiko’ differs from ‘Jewel of Desert Moon Stone’ in having larger leaves, purple flowers and in blooming for a shorter period of time.

‘Jewel of Desert Moon Stone’ can also be compared to cultivars with co-pending patent applications from the same breeding program:

‘Jewel of Desert Ruby’ has red flowers with deep pink and white centers and yellow anthers.

‘Jewel of Desert Rosequartz’ has light pink flowers with white centers and yellow anthers.

‘Jewel of Desert Topaz’ has yellow-orange flowers with red petal tips, white-light purple centers, and yellow anthers.

‘Jewel of Desert Peridot’ has yellow flowers with white centers and yellow anthers.

‘Jewel of Desert Garnet’ has red-orange flowers with pink centers and yellow anthers.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance and distinct characteristics of the new Delosperma. The plant in the photograph is 3 months in age as grown in a 7-cm container in a unheated greenhouse in Noordwijkerhout, The Netherlands.

The photograph in FIG. 1 provides a side view of ‘Jewel of Desert Moon Stone’ in bloom.

The photograph in FIG. 2 provides a close-up view of the foliage of ‘Jewel of Desert Moon Stone’.

The photograph in FIG. 3 provides a close-up view of a flower of ‘Jewel of Desert Moon Stone’. The colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description, which accurately describe the colors of the new Delosperma.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The following is a detailed description of three month-old plants of the new cultivar as grown in 7-cm containers in a unheated greenhouse in Noordwijkerhout, The Netherlands. The phenotype of the new cultivar may vary with variations in environmental, climatic, and cultural conditions, as it has not been tested under all possible environmental conditions. The color determination is in accordance with The 2007 R.H.S. Colour Chart of The Royal Horticultural Society, London, England, except where general color terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   General description:     -   -   Blooming period.—Mid April to mid September in             Noordwijkerhout, The Netherlands.         -   Plant type.—Herbaceous perennial.         -   Height and spread.—Reaches about 5.7 cm in height and about             14.8 cm in diameter with mature plants reaching up to 10 cm             in height and 30 cm in spread.         -   Cold hardiness.—Observed to be hardy to U.S.D.A. Zone 7.         -   Diseases.—No more susceptible or resistant to diseases than             other Delosperma cooperi varieties, diseases are typically             not a problem for Delosperma cooperi, except when grown with             too much moisture.         -   Root description.—Fibrous roots.         -   Propagation.—Softwood cuttings.         -   Growth habit.—Moderately vigorous. -   Stem description:     -   -   Shape.—Round.         -   Stem color.—A blend of 147C and 147D, older stems a blend of             170D and 173D.         -   Stem size.—Lateral branches; an average of 3.4 cm in length             and 2 mm in diameter.         -   Stem surface.—Moderately glossy, moderately covered with             very short glandular hairs; average length of 0.2 mm, 155C             in color.         -   Branching habit.—Freely branched, average of 5 lateral             branches, 4.5 cm in length and 2 mm in diameter, and branch             internode length is variable but typically about 2.0 cm. -   Foliage description:     -   -   Leaf shape.—Ligulate, triangular in diameter, succulent.         -   Leaf division.—Simple.         -   Leaf base.—Cuneate.         -   Leaf apex.—Acute.         -   Leaf venation.—No veins visible.         -   Leaf margins.—Entire.         -   Leaf arrangement.—Opposite.         -   Leaf surface (upper and lower surface).—Slightly glossy,             slightly pubescent with very short glandular hairs, average             length about 0.2 mm, 155C in color.         -   Leaf color.—Young upper and lower surface; a blend of 143A             and 143B, base a blend of 144A and 144B, mature upper and             lower surface; 143A, base 144A.         -   Leaf size.—About 4.5 cm in length and 4 mm in width.         -   Leaf quantity.—Average of 6 per lateral branch (3 pairs).         -   Leaf attachment.—Sessile. -   Stem description:     -   -   Shape.—Round.         -   Stem color.—A blend of 147C and 147D, older stems a blend of             N170D and 173D.         -   Stem size.—Lateral branches; an average of 4.5 cm in length             and 2 mm in diameter.         -   Internode length.—An average of 2.0 cm.         -   Stem substance.—Succulent.         -   Stem surface.—Moderately glossy, sparsely to moderately             pubescent with very short glandular hairs; an average of 0.2             mm in length and about 155C in color.         -   Branching habit.—Basal branching with an average of 5             lateral branches per stem. -   Inflorescence description:     -   -   Inflorescence type.—Flowers solitary, terminal.         -   Flower number.—Average of 3 per stem and 15 per plant.         -   Flower fragrance.—Moderately faint, sweet and pleasant.         -   Flower aspect.—Outward to upright.         -   Flower longevity.—A few days.         -   Flower type.—Single.         -   Flower shape.—Rotate.         -   Flower size.—Average of 2.6 cm in diameter and 1.0 cm in             height.         -   Flower buds.—Ovate in shape, average of 15 flower buds per             plant, average of 15 mm in length and 6 mm in diameter,             color; 145A fading into 137B to 137C.         -   Sepals.—5, narrow ovate in shape, margin entire, average of             1.0 cm in length and 2.5 mm in width, broadly acute apex,             broadly cuneate base, upper and lower surface is smooth and             dull, color; young upper and lower surface; 145A fading into             137B to 137C, mature upper and lower surface; 143A to 143B.         -   Petals.—An average of 36 per flower, rotate and slightly             curved arrangement, narrow oblanceolate in shape, upper and             lower surface is smooth, margin entire, apex is obtuse,             average of 1.2 cm in length and 1.5 mm in width, color:             opening flowers upper and lower surface and fully opened             upper and lower surface; NN155C to NN155D, non fading.         -   Petaloids.—An average of 36 per flower, rotate and near             vertical surrounding stamens, lanceolate in shape, upper and             lower surface is moderately to highly glossy, margin entire,             apex obtuse, base truncate, an average of 4 mm in length and             1 mm in width, color; mature and immature upper and lower             surfaces; a blend of NN155C and NN155D, non fading.         -   Calyx.—Rotate in shape, average of 1.3 cm in length and 2.2             cm in diameter.         -   Peduncle.—Average of 6.5 cm in length and 2 mm in diameter,             straight on top of lateral branch at 0°, a blend of 197C and             197D in color, surface moderately glossy, sparsely to             moderately pubescent with very short glandular hairs. -   Reproductive organs:     -   -   Pistils.—About 5, average of 2 mm in length, triangular             shaped stigma 144A in color, style is an average of 2 mm in             length and 144A in color, ovary is 143C in color.         -   Stamens.—Average 60, anthers are dorsifixed and narrow             oblong in shape, average of 0.5 mm in diameter and 13A in             color, filaments are 2 mm in length and 155D in color,             pollen is moderate in quantity and 14A to 14B in color.         -   Fruit.—Fruit and seed production was not observed under the             conditions tested. 

1. A new and distinct variety of Delosperma plant named ‘Jewel of Desert Moon Stone’ as described and illustrated herein. 